Woke up this morning to an unfamiliar sound - heavy rain on the rooftops in the glade. Headed east and eventually arrived at Barns Ness. The weather was really horrendous there, but a single juvenile Dunlin among the Turnstones and a single juvenile Kittiwake among the Black headed Gulls were just discernible through the driving rain. Later, a rainy St Abb's Head had a Grey Wagtail near a group of farm buildings, 4 Shags feeding in the harbour and snowy-white Gannets braving the winds offshore. Back at the glade, a walk along the Cart revealed very high water levels, a flock of Starlings and a Mistle Thrush squabbling over a Rowan tree and overhead, my first two Redwings of the winter.

Friday, October 03, 2008

First natural connection of the day (apart from waking up to a second consecutive frosty morning) was the usual Buzzard in the first Finlaystone meadow. Presumably the same bird was still there when I passed again 10 hours later. In between, a lunchtime walk around Murdieston Park found the family of Mute Swans on the top dam for the first time. The visiting Mute Swan pair (and accompanying Whooper) were on the bank, looking very nervous. It gave me a chance to confirm that none of the "new" swans are ringed. The day ended at 1 am with a Red Fox diving for cover outside the glade.